| Show TWay roa roaIn I Gas Supplies Big Factor In Success of Europe Invasion By Dy DeWitt Mackenzie Associated Pre Press s War Anal Analyst st They tell us day D-day actually has been set for the invasion of western western western west west- ern Europe although the date re remaIns remains remains re- re mains the most carefully guarded secret of the war When it arrives we shall see a titanic clash not only of men but butof butof butof of materiel Of course we cant can't appraise ise the relative Value of the soldiery and the equipment for both are vital However once the allies get their armies solidly ashore ashore in France the weight of the conflict may be shifted to supplies Materiel will tip the scales If the allies had possessed the trained men and materiel they could have invaded France months ago That's why American and British industries have been racing racing racing rac rac- ing to provide equipment for this great show and why vast convoys convoys convoys con con- voys have been speeding across the Atlantic with troops and supplies supplies supplies sup sup- plies to England Arrival of day D will mean we finally have havethe havethe the materiel we need Two items of materiel without which modern war cannot be waged are oil and gasoline War industries would halt without oil on and so would all battle equipment which has moving parts Warplanes Warplanes Warplanes War- War planes tanks and motor vehicles would be stalled without gasoline Hitler Supply Slender This being so one of the outstandIng outstanding outstanding out out- standing factors factors' in our favor as we near day D-day is that Hitler not only is short of oil and gasoline but that his slender source of supplies supplies supplies sup sup- plies is under dangerous attack by the allied air fleets His synthetic synthetic synthetic syn syn- oil and gas plants long have been under systematic bombing and now American bombers are slashing at Rumania's oil oilfields oil oilfields fields from which he has got the bulk of his natural petroleum sup sup- plies And the red armies are racing toward less than miles away All this presents a grim threat to the fuehrer To illustrate six months ago it was estimated that on one typical day of out all offensive offensive offensive of of- the European theater consumed consumed consumed con con- about barrels of petroleum Its It's also estimated that last year Rumania produced 35 barrels of f oil much of which went ent to Germany In other words Rumania's entire output would last the allies maybe days if it were high grade oil oil oil- which it isn't Huge Amounts Used Half a year ago allied aerial operations over Europe on an active active active ac ac- ac- ac tive day consumed gallons gallons gallons gal gal- lons of gas Heaven and the allied allied allied al al- al- al lied high command alone now know what the vastly increased consumption is Rumania has supplied about third one-third of Germanys Germany's requirements requirements requirements require require- ments for oil Virtually all the reich's remaining oil oU and gas have been made synthetically from coal The supplies which Hitler stole i from occupied ed cou countries tries have been exhausted The nazis have made madeno no secret of their crying need for oil oH That was one of the chief objectives of Hitler's attempt to reach the Caucasian petroleum fields It explains in part why onto Ru Ru- hes he's trying to hang mania Theres There's small doubt that one reason the Germans haven't been using their air fleet leet more is shortage shortage short short- ag age of gas Now when they lose Rumanian oil which they are bound to do either through bombing bombing bombing bomb bomb- ing or by capture it will be a truly crippling blow And it willbe Willbe will willbe be a mighty lift for the allies in inthe inthe inthe the forthcoming forthcoming- invasion which will depend so heavily on air power Its It's a curious and vastly important important important im im- im- im coincidence that a similar situation Is developing in the Orient Orient Orient Ori Ori- ent through Japans Japan's loss of her short-haul short oil supply when the Russians forced her to give up the Sakhalin oil leases |
